It is with saddened hearts that we announce the passing of our dear Mother Audrey Annabelle Rivers on April 23, 2023, at Lanark Lodge in Perth Ontario in her 97th year. Her children, Keith (Sue) Rivers of Cambridge, Corinne Rivers (Richard Chambers) of Ballentrae, Janice (Jack) Ray of Calgary and Wendy (Bryan) Pollard of Perth Ontario along with her 8 grandchildren, Andrew (Kelly) Rivers, Gillian (Dan) Dyck, Geoffrey (Kourtney) Rivers, Matthew (Ambi) Ray, Meghann (Craig) Foley, Melanie (Erik) Couture, Amanda (Nate) Ormsby and Mark (Melissa) Pollard will miss her dearly. Audrey’s 18 great grandchildren called her GG and feel lucky to have had her in their lives if only for a short time.
Audrey was predeceased by her loving husband of 67 years Donald Keith Rivers (1926-2013), her parents Richard and Myrtle Kitchen previously of Kitchener, and her siblings Jean (Rocky) Robertson, Merle (Vince) Meihm, Murray (Peggy) Kitchen, Berry (Joan) Kitchen, sister-in-law Carmella Kitchen, parents-in-law Wilfred and Elenore Rivers, and brother-in-law Russel (Ruth) Rivers. She is survived by her brother Melvin Kitchen, her sister-in-law Gloria (Rich) Heimbecker and many nieces and nephews on both the Kitchen and Rivers side of the family.
Audrey was born in Horning’s Mills Ontario and moved to a farm on Hidden Valley Rd, Kitchener where she grew up and attended school. She met the love of her life Don in Kitchener, and they were married in 1946. Audrey was employed in office work as a secretary and supported Don while he completed his mechanical engineering degree in Toronto after which they lived in Ocean Falls BC, Kitchener and Montreal before moving to Galt (Cambridge) where they lived on Southgate Rd for almost 60 years. Audrey and Don enjoyed their cottage on Papineau lake for the better part of 50 years.
Audrey, upon moving to Ocean Falls, dedicated her life to raising a family with 4 children arriving in a span of 5 years. She efficiently managed all the domestic duties and together with Don ensured excellent care, nurture, education and development of her brood. Due to their parenting, all children attained university degrees and have had successful professional careers.
Audrey was a dog lover and nurtured 4 greyhounds over the years, her final doggy companion being her dachshund, Nellie. She was a voracious reader visiting the library weekly, loved crosswords and puzzles, enjoyed letter writing, computing, emails and face time, played lots of bridge, volunteered for the Home and School Association, Lutheran Church Women, the YWCA and Papineau Lake Cottagers Association. She found immense joy in being with, and often caring for her grandchildren and later in life would light up when visiting her great grandchildren. She was a member of St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Cambridge. She painted in her later years having lessons from her friend John Wright. Audrey and Don had a wonderful group of ‘Babcock & Wilcox’ friends, camping together, dancing together, playing bridge, celebrating New Year’s Eve and later in life having regular lunch outings together.
Audrey moved to Heritage Meadows Retirement home in Cambridge with Nellie in 2015. In 2019 she moved to Doon Village Retirement home in Kitchener, then Winston Park Assisted Living in Kitchener in 2022 until entering Long Term Care in June 2022 at Lanark Lodge in Perth, being close to her daughter Wendy.
We would like to thank the staff at Doon and Winston Park for their care and support and the wonderful care providers from Nurse Next Door, and Miss Crys Elderly Care for their kind and patient care during her stay at Winston Park. We are so grateful for the love and care she was given by the very special care providers at Lanark Lodge who knew her well despite her inability to communicate with words and told us repeatedly how much they loved caring for her. Even in her final hours they knew which side she preferred to sleep on. They brought such comfort to us and Mom at this very difficult time.
A service and celebration of life will be held on June 4th at Coutts Funeral Home, 96 St. Andrews Street, Cambridge, Ontario. Visitation at 1pm, memorial service at 3pm with reception to follow.
Fond memories and donations to St. Paul's Lutheran Church or Cambridge Memorial Hospital may be shared at www.couttsfuneralhome.com for the Rivers family.
